Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Wrong Girl

~Caspian’s POV~

What in the hell of the Moon Goddess is this?

Cayden crept beside her slowly, his every breath shaky, like he couldn’t believe what he saw. And truthfully—I couldn’t either. Too many thoughts clawing through my head like ravenous wolves, but they all came back to one thing.

Her.

The unconscious girl lying on the cold forest floor, bloodied, bruised, and horrifyingly still... was our mate?

It didn’t make sense. None of it did.

We had been following the scent for hours now through the woods, over the ridge, past the riverbank where the moonlight shimmered like glass on the water. Both of us were silent, focused, bonded by the same instinct.

Mate.

We smelled her before we saw her. The scent was soft and fresh, like jasmine and warm vanilla had wrapped around my wolf like a promise. My beast had howled, begged, and clawed at me from the inside.

And now?

Now she was lying here in front of us. Barely breathing.

"This... can’t be," I whispered, voice hoarse as I stared at her. She was limp, a ragdoll crumpled on a bed of leaves and dirt, moonlight spilling across her soft skin like a spotlight.

"She’s so beautiful..." Cayden murmured beside me, crouching down slowly. He brushed her hair away from her face with the back of his hand like she was the most fragile thing he’d ever touched.

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

His fingers trailed along her jaw, down her neck his eyes wide, lips parted in something like awe.

"She’s exquisite. I’ve never seen anyone like her," he said, breathcatching. "It’s like the moon sculpted her herself."

"Let’s help her," he added, gently lifting her into his arms.

He didn’t know. He couldn’t know. Not yet.

His wolf was practically foaming at the mouth, vibrating with the need to protect her, to claim her. I felt it too. That maddening pull. That invisible thread tying our souls to hers. But I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the spot, frozen, nauseous.

"She’s so lucky to have both of us as her mates," Cayden grinned softly, glancing at me. "I’ve never felt like this before, Caspian. She’s everything."

He looked down at her again, full of wonder, like she was the answer to a question he never knew he’d asked. "I wonder why I’ve never seen her before. She must be from one of the lesser packs. Maybe an Omega’s daughter—Not a former Beta’s child? We must’ve broken the tradition this time. The Moon Goddess chose from a deeper pool."

"She’s a beta’s child...Well former," I said flatly, my voice a shard of ice in the warm night.

Cayden frowned. "What?"

"That’s because she’s a Gilbert."

Silence.

His eyes widened. "A Gilbert? As in... Marcus Gilbert’s daughter?"

I nodded slowly.

"Natasha’s sister?" His voice cracked.

"Yes."

Cayden took a step back, staring at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "No... no, don’t tell me"

"She’s human," I said, my words sharp and final.

He flinched.

"No," he whispered. "No, that can’t be. Werewolves don’t get mated to humans. That’s not how the Goddess works."

"Open your eyes, Cayden."

He started pacing, shaking his head like the truth physically repelled him. "Humans don’t get pulled into the mate bond. It’s not even possible. And besides—look at her! She’s glowing. She looks like an angel. She can’t be human."

"She has no scent," I said darkly, stepping closer. "That’s why she smells like nothing but perfume. No wolf. No shift. No energy. Just skin and bones and blood. She’s not healing. Her wounds—still fresh. If she had wolf blood, she’d be mending already."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify